AURORA, Colo. — An animal rescue group in Aurora hopes to raise awareness about an issue it's been dealing with for a while now — people relinquishing their pets in an unsafe manner.
LOLA's Rescue said the latest incident happened a few nights ago and was all caught on Ring camera video.
“Someone decided they wanted to relinquish their dog, and unfortunately, they didn't come to the door to let us know the pup was there. They just threw him on the doorstep,” said Samantha Cohen, an employee at the rescue center.
- Watch the video in the player below. Warning: The video may be disturbing to some viewers
Security camera captures woman dumping puppy at Aurora dog rescue
“In the video, we can see a woman walk up. She literally tossed the dog, and he is rolling around in his portable kennel, and he is, you know, out there for a little while,” Cohen added.
Cohen said the puppy, Gulliver, was brought in and is now doing a lot better.
“He is doing amazing,” she said. “He is a puppy. He is under a year, and he's in wonderful health.”
Gulliver is up for adoption, and there are already several applicants, according to Cohen.
Sadly, this is an issue LOLA's Rescue deals with frequently, according to Cohen.
“It's something we want the public to know about because it is not safe for the dogs. You never want to dump a dog. There are environmental issues such as the weather. We also have wild animals out here, so something could happen to them,” she said.
Cohen said resources are available if you find yourself in that difficult position.
“If someone does want to relinquish, we always suggest looking into municipal shelters because they have the government funding and they can provide animal control if they need it for behavioral issues. They also have night drop boxes,” she said. “You can go online and look and see which shelters have these. We are a privately funded rescue, so we don't have all those.”
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Cohen added that Lola's Rescue works with shelters in New Mexico and Texas to bring in dogs and keep euthanasia rates low.
LOLA's Rescue currently has about 100 dogs, most of them are with foster families, Cohen said.
“Unfortunately, right now, we're kind of in a dog crisis around the country, and everyone is needing to surrender for some reason, which is fine. We understand life happens, but we just want people to do it very responsibly,” said Cohen.
LOLA's Rescue is always looking for support through donations, foster families and volunteers. Right now, the center is hoping to raise enough money to purchase two more surveillance cameras to help them keep a better eye on the area in case animals are dumped. You can donate to the cause through this link.
For information on proper dog relinquishment across the Denver metro and resources available to help you keep your pets, you can contact some of the following shelters:
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